There is really nothing worse for an offensive team than a turnover. Whether it occurs from a violation or a player’s mistake, your team not getting a chance to score because of a turnover is a certain recipe for disaster. While you may never be able to eliminate them completely, there are definitely things you can do to help your team commit fewer turnovers. Developing your group into the most skilled team possible through live dribbling and passing drills will help their ability to take care of the ball and keep those turnover numbers low ..read more

If you attend a basketball game, chances are that at least once during the course of the game you will hear a coach or fan yelling “Three seconds!” This is to encourage the referee to call 3 second violation on the offense. This is a common violation that occurs, especially in youth basketball, but is also a basketball rule that's very misunderstood by coaches, players, and fans alike ..read more

The newest line that’s been added to a basketball court isn’t very big, but it’s a very important one for players, coaches, and referees alike. It’s the small arc located in the lane and it’s there to designate what is referred to as the “restricted area” on the court. In this article, I will dive into what exactly the restricted area is, why this line has been added to the court, and how you can coach your players to use it to their advantage ..read more

A backcourt violation in basketball can occur against against the offense two different ways, with both of them involving the half court line. The line itself is easy to see and understand. The turnovers that can be caused by it, however, are not… Each of them has some subtle rules that can be confusing to fans, coaches, and players. For that reason, this article will break down just what a backcourt violation in basketball is and how to coach your players to avoid them ..read more

A charge is an offensive foul that occurs when an offensive player charges into a defender. For the call to be a charge and not a block, 3 criteria must be met: 1. The defender must be in legal guarding position when the contact occurs. 2. The defender is not standing in the restricted area (does not apply to high school). 3. The defender is not the one who initiates the contact. If all 3 of these standards are met, the referee should call a charging foul ..read more

The box out is one of the simplest basketball skills to complete and can be taught to the youngest and smallest of players. But despite how relatively easy it is to perform, it could still be argued that boxing out is also the most forgotten skill in the game as it requires strict discipline to execute each possession. Regardless of age, position, or even defensive system, boxing out is an essential action that should continue to be emphasized and practiced each day ..read more

Basketball referee signals help to tell the crowd, scorer’s table, coaches, and players what is happening on the floor. But watching the game could get confusing if you don’t know what the referee signals mean. In this post, we take a look at all of the different signals referees make throughout a basketball game and explain what they mean ..read more

The dribble hand off in basketball is a widely used offensive tactic. When ran correctly, the DHO can be very effective as it also acts as a screen. If you plan to add them to your offense, make sure to practice against the different ways to defend a DHO, and also make sure your players understand the different counters ..read more

Suicides are a conditioning drill used by many basketball coaches. They are high intensity and involve running up and down the basketball court. While they can be an effective conditioning drill, it’s best to work fitness within your drills ..read more

"Iso" (short for isolation) is a tactic used at all levels of basketball -- sometimes intentionally and sometimes out of desperation -- to create a 1-on-1 scoring opportunity. This can be an effective strategy if you have a (1) skilled isolation scorer or (2) a mismatch. In this post, I'll define exactly what an "iso" is and show you how to use it to score ..read more